


Without you

by gutterfortunecookie



Category: Crimson Peak - Fandom
Genre: Babies, Death, Fluff, Gen, Ghosts, Heavy Angst, births
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-16
Updated: 2015-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-01 21:13:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5221049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gutterfortunecookie/pseuds/gutterfortunecookie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Crimson Peak Epilogues</p>
            </blockquote>





	Without you

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to write two separate birthing epilogues for Crimson Peak. They are not chronological and unconnected to one another.

 

 

Version 1

 

Edith tried to follow the breaths in the room, pain coursed through her as was expected. She opened her mouth finally letting out the screams she had been holding onto for hours. Alan looked up to her as he head hit the pillows.

“No, no, no. Edith look at me!”

Edith broke out into a sob, letting go of the clustered bed linens from underneath her. She relaxed herself, wanting to give up as she looked to the ceiling.

“I can’t! I can’t do it! I don’t want to go on!”

Alan stood to his feet and reached over her as he pressed his palm to her face.

“Edith, there is no more time and you don’t really mean that. It’s only the pain. Take a breath and say that you don’t mean it.”

She felt his wedding band cool at the side of her face as she shook her head.

“I-I didn’t mean it, I’m sorry. Please don’t tell him,” she sobbed.

“I can doubt he’ll hear anything over your screams, my dear. Just one more time. I promise.”

“Okay.”

Edith propped herself up on the pillows as Alan returned to the floor. Over her belly, Alan smiled as she held his hand.

“Now, Edith! Push now!”

She took a deep breath and used every muscle in her body as she hunched over and pushed with all her might. Alan guided her reassured her into another mighty push the baby slowly fell into his arms. Edith shook, looking down to the pair. Alan laughed with tears in his eyes as a tiny wail filled the room.

“It’s a boy, Edith. It’s a little boy, healthy in every way.”

“Let me see.”

Alan unsoiled the baby as much as he could, cutting the cord as he wrapped the baby in a clean spare blanket. The bundle was handed to Edith as she held to him tightly. The cries stopped as Edith shushed the newborn, singing softly to it as Alan smiled to them.

“Well done, my love. He would be so proud.”

“I know he is.”

Alan kissed her forehead and covered her with a fresh blanket. He turned for his tools for a moment as _he_ stood there. His figure was still so ghastly and white. He smiled down to the baby with tears in his dead eyes as he knelt to the side of the bed. He was silent as he always was and he still would be now. She turned the bundle so he could see his pride and joy.

“His name,” Alan called over his shoulder.

Edith looked up as his ghastliness withered away, showing his beautiful face as he looked to his son.

“Thomas.”

His hand reached up with his finger caressing the side of his sons raven hair that stuck to his head. He shead his tear and looked to Edith, squeezing her hand as he left a cold kiss to her cheek. He was proud, she could feel it.

“Superb choice.”

Thomas faded away with a smile as Edith held back her tears. He would be back to see them but not too soon.

 

\----- 

 

Version 2

 

Her vision swirled in colors she never knew existed. Edith held the bed linens underneath her as her cries reached the ceiling. She had stopped trying to speak for hours now, focusing on Alan’s voice as it too came in and out.

“Edith,” his voice echoed, “Hold on, just hold on for me.”

She saw the color of blood, her blood on his hands and knew better.

_Breathe, just breathe._

She could hear Thomas as he took her hand and pressed his palm to the side of her face.

“No,” he ordered, “You don’t get to give up on them yet.”

“Edith, I can see the head. Push! Push now!”

“Push, Edith!”

Edith took in a breath and pushed as hard as her body allowed her. She fought the shrill pain penetrating through her as she focused. Her skin grew red as she pushed, feeling relief as she looked down to Alan. He held the small infant in his arms as he encouraged it to breathe. The baby coughed, crying softly as its little feet kicked at the air, sending Alan into a laughing fit.

“It’s a girl! A stubborn little girl like you! Look at her!”

“She’s beautiful. She’s…”

There were no words, no more words as she looked to her daughter. Her senses left her one by one as she remembered the image of her baby. She held onto what she could, the fidgeting newborn girl, her cries for her mother in her ears. Thomas caught her as her body fell lifeless to the bed.

Alan had cut the cord and moved to clean the baby. He turned back with the bundle in his arms as he saw his wife inert in the bed. His strong arms held the baby close but his legs started to go weak. He placed his daughter on the table, rushing to the bed to revive Edith. Alan begged and prayed for Edith to wake up but instead she lay still on the bed.

Alan felt the tears stream from his eyes as he kissed his wife’s chapped lips. He brought the sheet over her head to keep her covered until he could find help to move her in the morning. Alan cried, holding Edith’s pale hand as the door slowly opened. Whispered seeped in slowly from the hall as the little boy with raven hair stood in the threshold.

_Don’t cry. Go to her._

He nodded and walked to the table as he climbed the chair and looked to the baby.

_Be with her._

He was small but he was strong for a child his age. He lifted the child against his small chest and carried them to the carpeted floor. He dragged the pillow with them as he wedged it between his lap and the baby.

_Mind her head. That’s it, my good boy._

The baby girl slowly started to settle as Alan looked up to his son, sniffling as he kept his eyes to his sister.

“T-Thomas! What are you doing up? I don’t want you in here.”

“She says it’s okay. She says I have to hold her head like this ‘cause she’s not strong.”

“What?”

Little Thomas looked next to him and nodded his little head.

“She says she loves you and they won’t ever leave us alone.”

“Who?”

Alan already knew the answer as he moved to the floor for his children. He brushed the black hair from his son’s face.

“He’s says he’ll love me like you always have.”

Alan smiled feeling a strong, firm hand at his shoulder.

“I know that.”

“What do we called her?”

Alan could hear a faint whisper that brought fresh tears to his face.

“How about Amelia?”

“Yes.”

He took the baby from Thomas and pulled the toddler to his feet. Alan pushed his son forward, away from the bed.

“She told me not to look.”

Alan wouldn’t have allowed it anyway. He wanted the last image of his mother being of her singing him goodnight. Alan balanced Amelia on his chest as he shut the door behind them. There was no smell, not yet as Edith looked to her body. Thomas wrapped his arms around her shoulders as the blood and her round stomach vanished.

“You did well, my dear.”

“I’m going to miss them dearly.”

“I don’t intend to leave,” he whispered into her hair.

“Neither do I,” she smiled as she took his hand and guided him into the wall.

 


End file.
